Fire extinguisher



Dec. 12, 1950 l. NURKlEwlcz 2,533,585

FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed June 9, 1949 Vfacilitates lling the device.

3 'interference by the handle l5. This also greatly The plug ill bears against a gasket l within the bushing to effect a tight closure of the device.

An overilow tube I1 attached to the bushing I2 extends inwardly into the shell, carrying at its inner end a frame I3 which retains a screen I9 in place. Attached to the holder I8 and extending downwardly and out through the opening I3 is an air vent tube 26, which extends beyond the opening I3 into a recess 2| in the plug I4.

The upper end of the shell nts tight upon and is brazed to a top bushing 23 having a threaded opening 24 into which is screwed a head 25. A gasket 26 is employed to provide a tight joint. The head 25, as shown, is provided 'with four vertical cavities 21-21 and 28-28, each of a size and shape to receive a cartridge 23 or 33. Each of these cartridges is of the standard commercial type for containing gases, such as CO2 or N2 under heavy pressure, having in one end a closing disc 3l by which the gasl is conned in place. This disc is sufficiently thin and soft so that it may readily be punctured by a pin to release the gas.

-The cavities 28 are for storage only of extra cartridges. They are, therefore, of suflicient depth so that the cartridges may rest in them without being engaged by the operating lever which will be described.

The cavities `2.v'l, l"1owever, are open at the bottom to the interior of the container, the openingbeing threaded to receive a bushing 21a, which in turn has a central opening to receive a bushing l33. The bushing 21a has a tapered Valve 32a is pressed by a spring 32h. The spring is heldin place by a screw 32e having a stem 32d extending up through the center of the spring. yThis vstem prevents the ball 32a from y compressing spring 32h too far so as to rdistort it Lateral-openings 32e give acess to the, interior of the container from the cartridge when the latter is pierced. I 1

The head is also provided with a central bore 34 constituting a valve chamber containing a vertically sliding valve 35 carrying a valve head 36 which cooperates with a shoulder 35a in the bore serving asia valve seat. Thisvvalve 35 controls egress ofthe re lighting medium up intoy the .bore 34, into a communicatinglateral passage `41 into which is screwed a nipple `48 which carries the discharge nozzle 4 I. t e

The valve stem of valve 35 extends Vup Ythrough an opening or bearing 31 in thehead and extends upwardly through a cup bushing 38 in the head. A spring 39 within this bushing is ccmpressed between the bottom of the bushing and a button 46 on top of the valve stem to hold the valve in closed position until the button is depressed. The device is operated by a pair of handles 42 and 43 extending' out from the side opposite the'f 4 nozzle 4I. The handles 42 and 43 are adapted to be gripped by the hand and pressed toward each other to hold and operate the machine. The handle 43 is designed to retain the extra cartridges in place, and, when operated, simultaneously to open the discharge valve 35 and move the cartridge 29 against the pin 32 to cause it to be pierced; it is, therefore, pivoted at 44Y on the far side of the head from the handle 42 and extends over the head at which point it is box like in shape, as shown at 45, to enclose all the cartridges and the button 40 of the discharge valve. The handle 43 is normally held in neutral position by a locking pin 46. In this position the upper face of the interior of box 45 is in light engagement with the cartridges 29 in cavities 21, but spaced considerably from those in cavities 28, while it is spaced only slightly from button 46 so as to start the piercing only just before the outlet valve is opened. Y

A safety trigger is provided to prevent'the premature piercing of the cartridges until. the device is to be operated and to prevent the cartridges from blowing the operating handleV 43 upwardly, blowingv the cartridge vfrom the ma# chine. To this end, there is pivoted to the underside of handle 43 at 50 a doWnward1y.ex-. tending latch 5I pressed inwardly by a spring 53 and havingits lower end turned in, as shown- This latch is provided with a projectionl at 52. 43 which bears against the handle 43 and limits the inward movement of the. latch 5I as thev handle 43 is Yopened to replace the cartridges. This inwardly turned end 52 rests in a groove 54 in the head, in which position the handle 43 cannot be moved upward and similarly it cannot be moved downward unless the end 52 moved outwardly beyond a stop 55.

For the purpose of releasing the machine for:

end 52 of the latch 5I when the lever 43 is inA neutral position and the latch in locking position. As soon, however, as the handle 59 is lmanipulated the dog '51 may be caused to push the latch out of locking,v position and permit the operation of the machine.

The spray nozzle heretofore designated generally as 4I comprises a cylindrical body` 6I) screwed upon nipple 48, This body has a coaxial bore 6I terminating in a shoulder 62 beyond", which is a smaller concentric-bore 63. Within these bores there is slidably mounted a valve pin 64 having a solid portion within the bore 60 and artubular portion 65 within'b'ore 63 having a e bore 66. The solid portion is 'provided with a valve pin under the influence of the spring `64a when it is otherwise free to move.

The flanges upon the solid portion 'are' spaced from the walls of bore 6I. so that the medium can flow past them, and the bore 66 hasA at its. inner end radial inlets 61 through its side walls. s,

This tubular portion slides tightly enough in the shoulder 62 these inlets 61 are closed.

The operation of the valve is controlled by Jan adjusting head which has internal bearings I slidable and rotatable upon the surface of body 60, This head comprises a nut 68,havinsa Sii threadegd nipplea, 6s' onto which: screwede a: sleevee' lIlhe bearingsifor:thisheadfare'initha nut-et@ ande. aten; withimthe' sleeves. Betweent thesegbearings; `there-areprovidediupoiratheabddyv anddlponrtheiinterionof ther-sleeve coarse mating.- threads-.f1 Il` and;12; so that l.a:s,;the,heacl-z isf-rotated itiwillialso movesasz-ially:

a Thei'w-alls: the boreal, are pierced by; outlets4 Qnnrigstl 6i.,eachgofgwhichioommunicates :withf as f-rmithpeningitosthelpend:ofthesbdyfilmingwith, the yshellispiral chalm'els .so that any;- fluid` issuing through the openings 16 will; Charged-2atttheendofthefbody in a tangential direction into a whirling chamber 14.

Beyond thei end of tlibodmtheeinterior surf-.aeeof theshell 11 contractedconicallmta central orice 19 and beyondthsitjsagainexe. panded conically` as shown at 18, thus furnishing between theendioffthebodytll andthecontracting portion 11 a whirling:l chamber 14, any'--rn'ediurnl delivered to it fromchannelslmay whirl around the axis and be discharged through orifice 13 whilerapidly rotating. An annular washer 8| is flti',el:i"withina` groove in the body and bears against the interior of the shellftoa avoidleakage. 4 I

.Aahandle-:an extends .radially from shell.. Jillto facilitaterotationof thehef'ad;v

With this construction, when the head is screwed up tight against flange 48, the conical surface `11 engages the end of valve pin 64 thereby shutting on communication between the whirling chamber and orice 19, and at the same time pressing orifices 61 back out into the bore 6l, permitting liquid to flow from the bore 6I out of the nozzle as a solid stream through bore 6B and orifice 19, which may be made slightly larger than bore 66.

As, however, the head is screwed outwardly. the valve pin, released by the outward movement of conical surface 11, is pushed out of bore 63 by spring 64a until orifices B1 are closed. Thereupon further movement of the valve pin is stoppedA by the flange 64b, and a passageway is opened between the end of the valve pin and the conical surface '11, permitting fluid to pass out of the nozzle from the whirling chamber. This fluid, because of its high speed rotation, clings to the conical walls 18 and is discharged as a conical spray.

SniralLa-rooyee'leut dnjshesouter faceaofi-theebpdxcv In order to permit the extinguisher to operate l in any position, there is screwed into the bottom of bore 34 a nipple 8| to which is attached a flexible tube 82 having at its lower end a weight 83, adapted to fall to the lowest part of the container as the latter is tilted to different positions.

With the above construction it will be clear that so long as the locking pin 46 is in place, all four of the cartridges will remain unpierced and will retain their gas supply. while the shell itself is free from strain due to gas pressure.

When the device is intended for use, the pin 46 is removed and handle 59 is tripped, whereupon the handles 42 and 43 are squeezed. The first effect of this squeezing is to force the cartridge 29 down on to its piercing pin 32, lling the shell with gas pressure from both cartridges. After. but almost immediately thereafter, the valve 36 is opened to emit the discharge of the contents of the shell through the discharge nozzle. It may be discharged as a solid stream if the source of the fire is not readily accessible, or as a smotbering spray if it be near at hand, de-

pendentcupontlfeipositiornofftheradiustmgshead ot thennozzlet` Thedevieefmaymowifbmusedluntilthefgasfrom the two cartridges is completely exhausted, wherefupon- -thehande utirh-ayfhe thrown baek: upon its pivotiand the-two :cartridgest discarded and I'the tworrelll-cartridges 3.6 Vplaced in they recesses: 212 whereupon the operation is ready for repetit'ic'm.v What-i1 thej supplye ofamediiim in. the container? is exhausted; iii-:imayvbeireadiiy replaced',- the dished bottom-serving assai-.funnel With I this construction l it will be clear.14 that; if theA shell iis:v lledi with liquider powder, the gas pressuref derived from the cartridges will force this-"liquideonpounderrun-through Atiie-hose-B-z' and outthrcmg-h thaniizzle;I mingled with some of the'gas.- Furthermore, since-` the' gas'- isf under heavy pressure; the tuberi contents will; be pro-V .ieeted on-to the fire-with grea'tforce:

-Sincer certa-inA changes` may be made" inthe above constructionand-different embodimentsof the invention couldbe made without departing fromthe soepel.l thereof; it@ is intended" that all matter contained in the above description. or

i shown in the aecornpanying4 drawingsfshall -be interpreted as illustrative# and Inot" in a sense? l Its-iss alscrto besunderstood thatfA the 1 following claims are intendedftocover allioffthegeneric and speeiflefeatureslof theihven'tion herein -de scribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

l. A re extinguisher comprising a cylindrical container, a head for closing one end of said container having a plurality of bores therein parallel to the axis of the container, one of said bores cornprising a valve chamber communicating with the interior of the container and with an outlet opening in the sideof the head, a spring pressed valve within said valve chamber having an operating button, a pair of operating handles extending laterally from said head on the side oplimiting posite the outlet opening, one of said handles being rigid with said head and the other extending over said head and being pivoted to said head on the side having said outlet opening, and being positioned to engage said button to depress said valve when said pivoted. lever is moved toward said xed lever, another of said bores comprising a cartridge bore having at its lower end a piercing pin having a central hole therein communicating by a passage with the interior of the container, said last named bore being of a size and shape to receive a gas cartridge of the type adapted to carry gas under pressure and to release the same when punctured, said cartridge bore being adapted to support such a cartridge in position to be forced against said puncturing pin just before the pivoted handle is moved enough to open said valve whereby the cartridge is punctured just before the valve is opened.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which the point of engagement of said pivoted handle with said cartridge is closer to the handle pivot than the point of engagement of said handle with said button.

3. A device according to claim 1 having two of said cartridge bores positioned to have the container cartridges pierced simultaneously, and having a pair of said bores closed at their lower ends to receive idle cartridges held in place by said pivoted handle but not in position to beA punctured.

4.V A deyiceaccoiding to claiml having a check valve in the passage from said piercing pin, to pass gas from a cartridge into said container but not out from it.

5. A device according to claim 1, in which the passage from said piercing pin includes a flexible tube extending downward to the bottom of'said container.

A 6. A device according to claim 1 in which the end of said container opposite said head is dished inwardly and is provided with a central screw threaded opening, a cylindrical overflow tube extending inwardly from the periphery of said opening, an air vent tube supported from said overflow tube and .extending from the inner end thereof out beyond the screwthreaded opening and a filling plug for closing said opening, having a recess to receive the end of said-overflow tube.

7. A device according to claim 1, in which the cartridge bore has at its lower end an annular 'gasket adapted to embrace the cartridge tight enough to make a tight joint, and yet to permit the cartridge to be forced through the gasket to be pierced by the pin.

8. A device of the character described compris.- ing in combination, a shell, a head at one end of said shell for closing the same, having a handle pivoted to one side of it and extending over it, said head having a discharge opening in one side thereof communicating with the interior of the shell by a passage, a valve within said passage having a head engageable by said handle, a bore within said head to support a gas cartridge in position to be engaged by said handle, a pin at the bottom of said bore, the parts being so proportioned that the depression of the handle will puncture the cartridge and 'open the valve, said pin affording communication for said gas to the interior of said shell, and said passage including a tube extending to the bottom of said shell, and said outlet opening having means for causing the discharge to issue either as a solid jet or conical spray.

- IGNATIU S NURKIEWICZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent: .i

UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS 363,235 ,Great Britain Dec. 17, 1931 

